US rewards for Hafiz Muhammad Saeed and Hafiz Abdul Rehman Makki

The recent awards announced by US for Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, the Chief of Jamaat ud Dawah (JuD), the front of Lashkar e Toiba (LeT) and his deputy Hafiz Abdul Rehman Makki must be seen in the background of US- Pak deteriorating relationship on the issue of opening of supply route for NATO troops in Afghanistan from Pakistan. Hafiz Md Saeed and Makki both are opposing the route to be opened and are mobilizing people to protest.

That LeT is an ally of ISI is well known to everyone including the US. Hence it is inconceivable that Hafiz Saeed would do anything that has not been approved by ISI and the Pak Army. This aspect has been well established by the testimony of Headley. He had stated that LeT and ISI are inseparable and that Pak Army was directly involved in providing logistical support for the 26/11 Mumbai attacks and Pak Navy’s frogmen were directly involved in training of terrorists of 26/11 attacks. His details of Pak Army officers like Majors Iqbal, Sameer Ali and Haroon Ashique being involved in 26/11 attacks had revealed the deep linkages between LeT and ISI/ Pak Army. The role of Hafiz Md Saeed comes out clearly in the 26/11 attacks in which six Americans were killed. Hafiz Md Saeed had also been opposing US policies in Afghanistan particularly drone attacks. In fact, he had started mentioning US along with India and Israel as LeT’s enemies since the US had banned LeT.

So far Makki is concerned, not only he is deputy of Hafiz Saeed but also operational liaison officer of LeT. It was he who had organized the training of Taliban and al-Qaida new recruits at the LeT’s training centres after US led attack on Afghanistan started. He was also played significant role in planning joint attacks in Afghanistan. While details are not available, it is suspected that he was instrumental in maintaining links with Osama bin laden and his group till the neutralisation of Osama.

While US have several reports on these two persons, it is felt that they would not be sufficient in the court of law to get them punished. Hence, US have announced rewards for these two persons to provide information leading to their conviction. And in this respect these awards are different from those being offered for Al Zawahiri and others.

The timing of awards suggests that the US have announced these rewards to press for the opening of supply route. This puts a question mark on the sincerity of US in pursuing this matter in case the supply route is restored. However this is extremely important for India that these two persons are penalized for their deadly role in 26/11. Pakistan has so far not agreed that India has provided substantive evidence. The Pak Army and ISI, which determine such policies, are not likely to accept the Indian evidence as that would lead to disclosure of role of these agencies in organising terrorist attacks. The main factor is that Pakistan Army has not abandoned terrorism as the policy to deal with India. Till the Pak Army establishment remains in the current mind-set, it is not possible to improve relations between the two countries. Pragmatism demands that Indian leadership understands this aspect and stop hoping that by talking to either President or the PM of Pakistan can result in improving relations between the two countries.

DISCLAIMER : Views expressed above are the author's own.

Author

S D Pradhan has served as chairman of India's Joint Intelligence Committee. He has also been the country's deputy national security adviser. He was chairman of the Task Force on Intelligence Mechanism (2008-2010), which was constituted to review the functioning of the intelligence agencies. He has taught at the departments of defence studies and history at the Punjabi University, Patiala. He was also a visiting professor at the University of Illinois, US, in the department of arms control and disarmament studies. The ministry of defence had utilized his services for the preparation of official accounts of the 1971 war and the counterinsurgency operations in the northeast. In the JIC/National Security Council secretariat, he was closely involved with the preparation of the reports of the Kargil Review Committee and the Group of Ministers on national security as also with the implementation of their recommendations. His publications include two books and several articles.

S D Pradhan has served as chairman of India's Joint Intelligence Committee. He has also been the country's deputy national security adviser. He was chairman. . .

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S D Pradhan has served as chairman of India's Joint Intelligence Committee. He has also been the country's deputy national security adviser. He was chairman of the Task Force on Intelligence Mechanism (2008-2010), which was constituted to review the functioning of the intelligence agencies. He has taught at the departments of defence studies and history at the Punjabi University, Patiala. He was also a visiting professor at the University of Illinois, US, in the department of arms control and disarmament studies. The ministry of defence had utilized his services for the preparation of official accounts of the 1971 war and the counterinsurgency operations in the northeast. In the JIC/National Security Council secretariat, he was closely involved with the preparation of the reports of the Kargil Review Committee and the Group of Ministers on national security as also with the implementation of their recommendations. His publications include two books and several articles.

S D Pradhan has served as chairman of India's Joint Intelligence Committee. He has also been the country's deputy national security adviser. He was chairman. . .